Demonstrative Pronouns (This / That / These / Those) – English Grammar Exercises for A1
Choose the best option (A, B, C, or D) to complete each sentence.
You and your friends are eating together at a restaurant. Pay close attention to the location of the food (on your own plate = near, or on your friend’s plate across the table = far) to choose the correct demonstrative pronoun.
1 You are eating soup from your own bowl. “______ soup in my bowl is very hot.”
(A) That
(B) It
(C) This
(D) These
2 Pointing to the steak on your friend’s plate across the table. “Wow, ______ steak on your plate looks delicious!”
(A) those
(B) that
(C) this
(D) he
3 Eating French fries from your own plate. “I love ______ French fries. They are so crispy!”
(A) these
(B) this
(C) they
(D) those
4 Pointing to the dumplings your friend is eating. “Can I try one of ______ dumplings you are eating?”
(A) that
(B) these
(C) them
(D) those
5 Holding a slice of pizza in your hand. “______ slice of pizza I am holding is very cheesy.”
(A) These
(B) This
(C) That
(D) It
6 Looking at the rice on your own plate. “______ rice on my plate is a bit cold.”
(A) That
(B) These
(C) This
(D) It
7 Comparing the fish on your plate to the chicken on your friend’s plate. “______ fish here is good, but how is ______ chicken over there?”
(A) This / that
(B) That / this
(C) It / it
(D) These / those
8 Asking about the vegetables on your friend’s side of the table. “Are ______ vegetables on your side of the table spicy?”
(A) they
(B) those
(C) these
(D) that
9 Looking at your own giant burger. “I can’t finish ______ huge burger on my plate.”
(A) a
(B) these
(C) that
(D) this
10 Comparing your bowl of grapes with your friend’s bowl of strawberries. “______ grapes in my bowl are sweet, but are ______ strawberries in your bowl sour?”
(A) Those / these
(B) They / they
(C) These / those
(D) This / that
11 Asking your friend about their salad. “Pass me the salt, please. And is ______ salad you have fresh?”
(A) this
(B) that
(C) those
(D) it
12 You want to try your friend’s spaghetti. “I really want to taste ______ spaghetti on your plate.”
(A) that
(B) those
(C) this
(D) it
13 Eating a plate of tacos right in front of you. “______ tacos we are eating right now are the best in town!”
(A) Those
(B) This
(C) These
(D) They
14 Asking your friend to pass a drink from their side. “Can you pass me ______ bottle of water near your hand?”
(A) this
(B) the
(C) those
(D) that
15 Eating from a bowl of spicy noodles right in front of you. “______ noodles in my bowl are too spicy for me to finish.”
(A) They
(B) These
(C) This
(D) Those
16 Splitting a dessert with your friend. “I will eat ______ piece of cake here, and you can have ______ one over there.”
(A) this / that
(B) that / this
(C) it / that
(D) these / those
17 Smelling the soup your friend ordered from across the table. “Wow, ______ seafood soup you ordered smells amazing from across the table.”
(A) those
(B) this
(C) it
(D) that
18 Comparing the cheese on your plate with the sausages on your friend’s plate. “______ cheese on my plate is great, but ______ sausages on yours look better.”
(A) These / those
(B) This / those
(C) It / they
(D) That / these
19 Asking about the baked beans on your friend’s plate. “Are ______ baked beans on your plate hot or cold?”
(A) that
(B) them
(C) those
(D) these
20 Concluding the dinner experience. “To summarize, ______ meal I am eating is fantastic, and ______ desserts we see on the menu over there will be perfect later.”
(A) this / those
(B) that / these
(C) it / they
(D) these / that
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (C) This
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The soup is in your own bowl (near) and is uncountable (singular).
- Error Analysis: (B) “It” is a Common Mistake (personal pronouns cannot act as demonstrative adjectives before nouns). (D) “These” is a Structural Error (wrong quantity for uncountable nouns). (A) “That” is a Meaning Trap (wrong distance).
2 (B) that
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The steak is on your friend’s plate across the table (far) and is singular.
- Error Analysis: (C) “this” is a Meaning Trap (wrong distance). (A) “those” is a Structural Error (plural demonstrative for a singular noun). (D) “he” is a Common Mistake.
3 (A) these
- Why it’s correct (The Key): French fries are plural and on your own plate (near).
- Error Analysis: (C) “they” is a Common Mistake. (B) “this” is a Structural Error (singular demonstrative). (D) “those” is a Meaning Trap (wrong distance).
4 (D) those
- Why it’s correct (The Key): Dumplings are plural and on your friend’s plate (far).
- Error Analysis: (B) “these” is a Meaning Trap (wrong distance). (A) “that” is a Structural Error (singular demonstrative). (C) “them” is a Common Mistake (“them dumplings” is incorrect grammar).
5 (B) This
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The slice of pizza is singular and in your hand (very near).
- Error Analysis: (C) “That” is a Meaning Trap. (D) “It” is a Common Mistake. (A) “These” is a Structural Error.
6 (C) This
- Why it’s correct (The Key): Rice is uncountable (singular) and on your plate (near).
- Error Analysis: (B) “These” is a Structural Error (rice is uncountable, so it cannot take “these”). (A) “That” is a Meaning Trap. (D) “It” is a Common Mistake.
7 (A) This / that
- Why it’s correct (The Key): Fish on your plate is near (“This”), chicken on your friend’s plate is far (“that”).
- Error Analysis: (B) “That / this” is a Meaning Trap (reverses the correct locations). (D) “These / those” is a Structural Error (uncountable meat items). (C) “It / it” is a Common Mistake.
8 (B) those
- Why it’s correct (The Key): Vegetables are plural and on the other side of the table (far).
- Error Analysis: (C) “these” is a Meaning Trap. (A) “they” is a Common Mistake. (D) “that” is a Structural Error.
9 (D) this
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The burger is singular and on your plate (near).
- Error Analysis: (C) “that” is a Meaning Trap. (A) “a” is a Common Mistake (lacks the demonstrative pointing function). (B) “these” is a Structural Error.
10 (C) These / those
- Why it’s correct (The Key): Grapes are plural and near (“These”), strawberries are plural and far (“those”).
- Error Analysis: (A) “Those / these” is a Meaning Trap (reverses the distance logic). (D) “This / that” is a Structural Error (singular pronouns for plural nouns). (B) “They / they” is a Common Mistake.
11 (B) that
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The salad belongs to your friend and is far (singular).
- Error Analysis: (A) “this” is a Meaning Trap. (D) “it” is a Common Mistake. (C) “those” is a Structural Error.
12 (A) that
- Why it’s correct (The Key): Spaghetti is an uncountable noun (treated as singular) and is on your friend’s plate (far).
- Error Analysis: (B) “those” is a Structural Error (a very common trap because learners think of multiple pasta strings, but “spaghetti” is uncountable). (C) “this” is a Meaning Trap. (D) “it” is a Common Mistake.
13 (C) These
- Why it’s correct (The Key): Tacos are plural and right in front of you (near).
- Error Analysis: (A) “Those” is a Meaning Trap. (D) “They” is a Common Mistake. (B) “This” is a Structural Error.
14 (D) that
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The bottle of water is near your friend’s hand (far from you) and is singular.
- Error Analysis: (A) “this” is a Meaning Trap. (C) “those” is a Structural Error. (B) “the” is a Common Mistake.
15 (B) These
- Why it’s correct (The Key): “Noodles” is a plural count noun, and they are in your bowl (near).
- Error Analysis: (C) “This” is a Structural Error (learners often confuse “noodles” with uncountable “spaghetti”, but noodles takes a plural demonstrative). (D) “Those” is a Meaning Trap. (A) “They” is a Common Mistake.
16 (A) this / that
- Why it’s correct (The Key): “Here” indicates near (this), and “over there” indicates far (that). Both refer to a singular piece.
- Error Analysis: (B) “that / this” is a Meaning Trap. (D) “these / those” is a Structural Error. (C) “it / that” is a Common Mistake.
17 (D) that
- Why it’s correct (The Key): Soup is uncountable (singular) and is across the table (far).
- Error Analysis: (B) “this” is a Meaning Trap. (A) “those” is a Structural Error. (C) “it” is a Common Mistake.
18 (B) This / those
- Why it’s correct (The Key): Cheese is uncountable and near (This). Sausages are plural and far (those).
- Error Analysis: (A) “These / those” is a Structural Error (“These cheese” is incorrect). (D) “That / these” is a Meaning Trap. (C) “It / they” is a Common Mistake.
19 (C) those
- Why it’s correct (The Key): Beans are plural and on your friend’s plate (far).
- Error Analysis: (D) “these” is a Meaning Trap. (A) “that” is a Structural Error. (B) “them” is a Common Mistake.
20 (A) this / those
- Why it’s correct (The Key): The meal you are eating is singular and near (this). Desserts are plural and far away on the menu (those).
- Error Analysis: (B) “that / these” is a Meaning Trap. (D) “these / that” is a Structural Error. (C) “it / they” is a Common Mistake.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
- The Table Rule (Location): * Food/Items on YOUR plate (near) -> Use This (singular/uncountable) or These (plural).
- Food/Items on your FRIEND’S plate across the table (far) -> Use That (singular/uncountable) or Those (plural).
- Watch Out for Countable vs. Uncountable Food:
- Singular / Uncountable (Use This/That): Soup, rice, spaghetti, cheese, fish, chicken, water.
- Plural (Use These/Those): French fries, dumplings, vegetables, noodles, grapes, beans. Pay special attention to the difference between Spaghetti (uncountable) and Noodles (plural).
- The Ultimate Grammar Rule: Never use personal pronouns like It, They, Them directly before a noun to point out a location (e.g., Do not say “They fries” or “It soup”). Always use the demonstrative adjectives This/That/These/Those.